Removable pull handle device for a cabinet drawer

ABSTRACT

A removable pull handle device is adapted for use with a cabinet drawer formed with a handle mounting hole, and includes a face plate and a pull handle member having a key portion and a handle portion. The face plate includes a plate wall to be secured on the cabinet drawer so as to cover the handle mounting hole, and formed with a key hole for access into the handle mounting hole. The key hole and the key portion are configured such that, when the key portion is extended through the key hole, the pull handle member is rotatable relative to the face plate between a key inserting position, and a plate engaging position, where the pull handle member and the face plate cooperate to form a force exerting mechanism that permits application of a pull force to draw the cabinet drawer to an opened state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a handle device, more particularly to a removable pull handle device for a cabinet drawer.

2. Description of the Related Art

As shown in FIG. 1, a common cabinet 6 includes a plurality of cabinet drawers 62, each of which is mounted with a conventional handle 63. When a user holds the conventional handle 63 of one of the cabinet drawers 62 and applies a pulling force thereto, the respective cabinet drawer 62 will be opened. However, since anyone can easily open the cabinet drawers 62, the contents thereof can be easily revealed without security and privacy. Another common cabinet (not shown) has a construction similar to that of the abovementioned common cabinet 6, but further includes a lock device for promoting security and privacy of the contents of the cabinet drawers. However, the configuration of the lock device is relatively complicated, and all of the cabinet drawers are either locked or unlocked at the same time, thereby affecting the practicality of this common cabinet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a removable pull handle device for a cabinet drawer, which provides higher security and privacy for contents of the cabinet drawer, and which is more practical.

Accordingly, a removable pull handle device of the present invention is adapted for use with a cabinet drawer that has an outer drawer surface formed with a handle mounting hole. The removable pull handle device comprises a face plate and a pull handle member. The face plate includes a plate wall that is adapted to be secured on the outer drawer surface of the cabinet so as to cover the handle mounting hole. The plate wall is formed with a key hole for access into the handle mounting hole. The pull handle member has a key portion that has a first end and a second end extendible removably through the key hole in the face plate, and a handle portion that is connected to the first end of the key portion. The key hole and the key portion are configured such that, when the key portion is extended through the key hole, the pull handle member is rotatable relative to the face plate between a key inserting position, where the key portion is removable from the face plate via the key hole, and a plate engaging position, where the key portion is non-removable from the face plate and where the pull handle member cooperates with the face plate so as to form a force exerting mechanism that permits application of a pull force at the handle portion to draw the cabinet drawer to an opened state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet having cabinet drawers mounted with conventional handles;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cabinet having cabinet drawers mounted with a preferred embodiment of a removable pull handle device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a partly exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating a pull handle member in a plate engaging position;

FIG. 6 is an assembled sectional view of the preferred embodiment taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the preferred embodiment with the pull handle members removed from the cabinet drawers;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating the pull handle member in a key inserting position; and

FIG. 9 is a partly exploded sectional view of the preferred embodiment taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 6, the preferred embodiment of a removable pull handle device according to the present invention is adapted for use with a cabinet drawer 12 slidably disposed in a cabinet 1. The cabinet drawer 12 has an outer drawer surface 121 formed with a handle mounting hole 122. The removable pull handle device comprises a mounting seat 2, a rotary member 3, a face plate 4, and a pull handle member 5.

The mounting seat 2 is adapted to be fixed in the handle mounting hole 122 in the outer drawer surface 121 of the cabinet drawer 12, and includes a surrounding seat wall 22 surrounding an axis (X) and defining a receiving space 21. In this embodiment, the surrounding seat wall 22 has one edge formed with a circumferentially extending notch 23 that has first and second notch edges 231, 232, and an inner wall surface 25 formed with first and second pits 251, 252 that are angularly spaced apart from each other. The mounting seat 2 further includes a back wall 26 that is disposed at the other edge of the surrounding seat wall 22 opposite to the circumferentially extending notch 23, and that cooperates with the surrounding seat wall 22 to define the receiving space 21, and a screw 27 that extends through the back wall 26 along the axis (X), and that fastens the mounting seat 2 to the cabinet drawer 12.

The rotary member 3 is disposed rotatably in the receiving space 21 in the mounting seat 2, and includes a surrounding wall 31 surrounding the axis (X), defining a key space 30, and having an internal wall surface 311 and an external wall surface 312. The internal wall surface 311 is formed with a pair of positioning protrusions 32 that confine a stop receiving notch 36. In this embodiment, the external wall surface 312 is formed with a limit projection 33 that extends into and that cooperates with the circumferentially extending notch 23 in the surrounding seat wall 22 of the mounting seat 2 to limit extent of angular rotation of the rotary member 3 relative to the mounting seat 2, and a positioning bump 35 that engages removably the first pit 251 or the second pit 252 of the inner wall surface 25 of the surrounding seat wall 22. The mounting seat 2 further includes a guide shaft 24 that extends into the key space 30 along the axis (X).

The face plate 4 includes a plate wall 41 that is adapted to be secured on the outer drawer surface 121 of the cabinet drawer 12 so as to cover the mounting seat 2 and the rotary member 3, and that is formed with a key hole 42 for access into the handle mounting hole 122.

The pull handle member 5 has a key portion 51 and a handle portion 52. The key portion 51 has a first end 514 and a second end 515 extendible removably into the key space 30 in the rotary member 3 through the key hole 42 in the face plate 4, and includes an insert rod 511 extending at the second end 515 along the axis (X), and a stop 512 protruding in a radial outward direction from the insert rod 511 relative to the axis (X). The insert rod 511 is formed with a blind hole 513 extending along the axis (X) and into which the guide shaft 24 of the mounting seat 2 is extendible. The key hole 42 in the face plate 4 has a largest dimension and a smallest dimension smaller than the largest dimension. The sum of a diameter of the insert rod 511 and a radial length of the stop 512 is smaller than the largest dimension of the key hole 42 and larger than the smallest dimension of the key hole 42. The handle portion 52 is connected detachably to the first end 514 of the key portion 51, such as via a male and female threaded connection. When the key portion 51 of the pull handle member 5 extends into the key space 30 of the rotary member 3 with the guide shaft 24 extending into the blind hole 513 of the key portion 51, and with the stop 512 of the key portion 51 engaging the stop receiving notch 36 in the key space 30, co-rotation of the rotary member 3 with the pull handle member 5 relative to the mounting seat 2 about the axis (X) is permitted. As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, when the handle portion 52 of the pull handle member 5 is turned clockwise, the rotary member 3 will be driven to co-rotate with the pull handle member 5 about the axis (X) until the limit projection 33 of the rotary member 3 abuts against the second notch edge 232 of the circumferentially extending notch 23 in the surrounding seat wall 22 of the mounting seat 2. At this time, the key portion 51 is rotated to a plate engaging position (see FIG. 5), where the key portion 51 is non-removable from the face plate 4 and where the pull handle member 5 cooperates with the face plate 4 so as to form a force exerting mechanism that permits application of a pull force at the handle portion 52 to draw the cabinet drawer 12 to an opened state. When the key portion 51 is rotated to the plate engaging position, the positioning bump 35 of the rotary member 3 will engage removably the first pit 251 of the surrounding seat wall 22 of the mounting seat 2 for positioning the rotary member 3 relative to the face plate 4.

On the contrary, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, when the handle portion 52 of the pull handle member 5 is turned counterclockwise, the rotary member 3 will be driven to co-rotate with the pull handle member 5 about the axis (X) until the limit projection 33 of the rotary member 3 abuts against the first notch edge 231 of the circumferentially extending notch 23 in the surrounding seat wall 22 of the mounting seat 2. At this time, the key portion 51 is rotated to a key inserting position (see FIG. 8), where the key portion 51 is removable from the face plate 4 via the key hole 42 (as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9). When the key portion 51 is rotated to the key inserting position, the positioning bump 35 of the rotary member 3 will engage removably the second pit 252 of the surrounding seat wall 22 of the mounting seat 2 for positioning the rotary member 3 relative to the face plate 4 such that the key portion 51 can be pulled away smoothly via the key hole 42. Once the pull handle member 5 is removed from the cabinet drawer 12 of the cabinet 1 while the cabinet drawer 12 is in a closed state, there is nothing on the outer drawer surface 121 of the cabinet drawer 12 that can be pulled to draw the cabinet drawer 12 to the opened state, thereby resulting in higher security and privacy of the contents thereof.

In addition, since the handle portion 52 of the pull handle member 5 is detachably connected to the key portion 51 of the pull handle member 5, different forms of the handle portion 52 can be connected to the key portion 51 to meet aesthetic requirements.

It should be noted that, the locations of the circumferentially extending notch 23 and the limit projection 33, as well as those of the positioning bump 35 and the first and second pits 251, 252, can be interchanged in other embodiments of this invention. While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A removable pull handle device adapted for use with a cabinet drawer that has an outer drawer surface formed with a handle mounting hole, said removable pull handle device comprising: a face plate including a plate wall that is adapted to be secured on the outer drawer surface of the cabinet drawer so as to cover the handle mounting hole, said plate wall being formed with a key hole for access into the handle mounting hole; and a pull handle member having a key portion that has a first end and a second end extendible removably through said key hole in said face plate, and a handle portion that is connected to said first end of said key portion; said key hole and said key portion being configured such that, when said key portion is extended through said key hole, said pull handle member is rotatable relative to said face plate between a key inserting position, where said key portion is removable from said face plate via said key hole, and a plate engaging position, where said key portion is non-removable from said face plate and where said pull handle member cooperates with said face plate so as to form a force exerting mechanism that permits application of a pull force at said handle portion to draw the cabinet drawer to an opened state.
 2. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said key portion of said pull handle member includes an insert rod that extends along an axis, and a stop that protrudes in a radial outward direction from said insert rod relative to the axis.
 3. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 2, wherein: said key hole has a largest dimension and a smallest dimension smaller than the largest dimension; and sum of a diameter of said insert rod and a radial length of said stop being smaller than the largest dimension of said key hole and larger than the smallest dimension of said key hole.
 4. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said key portion of said pull handle member is connected detachably to said handle portion of said pull handle member.
 5. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising amounting seat adapted to be fixed in the handle mounting hole, and including a surrounding seat wall that surrounds an axis and that defines a receiving space.
 6. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a rotary member that is disposed rotatably in said receiving space in said mounting seat, and that includes a surrounding wall surrounding the axis and defining a key space into which said key portion of said pull handle member is extendible, said rotary member engaging removably said key portion to permit co-rotation of said rotary member with said pull handle member relative to said mounting seat about the axis.
 7. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said surrounding wall of said rotary member has an internal wall surface formed with a pair of positioning protrusions that confine a stop receiving notch for engaging removably said stop of said key portion of said pull handle member, thereby permitting co-rotation of said rotary member with said pull handle member.
 8. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 6, wherein: one of said surrounding seat wall of said mounting seat and said surrounding wall of said rotary member is formed with a circumferentially extending notch; and the other one of said surrounding seat wall of said mounting seat and said surrounding wall of said rotary member is formed with a limit projection that extends into and that cooperates with said circumferentially extending notch to limit extent of angular rotation of said rotary member relative to said mounting seat.
 9. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 6, wherein: said mounting seat further includes a guide shaft that extends into said key space in said rotary member along the axis; and said insert rod of said key portion of said pull handle member is formed with a blind hole that extends along the axis and into which said guide shaft is extendible.
 10. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 6, wherein: one of said surrounding seat wall of said mounting seat and said surrounding wall of said rotary member is further formed with a first pit; and the other one of said surrounding seat wall of said mounting seat and said surrounding wall of said rotary member is further formed with a positioning bump that engages removably said first pit when said pull handle member is rotated to the plate engaging position.
 11. The removable pull handle device as claimed in claim 10, wherein: said one of said surrounding seat wall of said mounting seat and said surrounding wall of said rotary member is further formed with a second pit angularly spaced apart from said first pit, said positioning bump engaging removably said second pit when said pull handle member is rotated to the key inserting position. 